Thread-controlling device for sewing machines



Oct. 25, 1932. w. MYI-:Rs

THREAD coNTRoLLmG DEVICE EoR SEWING uAcHINEs Filed Nov. 20, 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 3 45 9 46 4@ J5 f2 11 4f 6.5 a

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THREAD CONTROLLING DEVICE FOR SEWING MACHINJSv Filed Nov. 2o, 1930 @Smets-sheet s www Oct. 25, 1932. w- MYERS 1,884,127

THREAD coNTRoLLm'G DEVICE FR-sEwING MACHINES Filed No. 2o. 1930 4 sheets-sheet 4 Patented oct. z5, 1932 UNITED fsrrEs PATENT OFFICE.

WALTER MYERS, OF BRIEGEPORT, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE SINGER IMANU'- FACTURING COMPANY, F ELIZABETH, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION 0F NEW JERSEY f, THREAD-CONTROLLING DEVICE FOR SEWING MACHINES Application led November 20, 1930. Serial No. 496,881.

provide improved thread-controlling meansV for hook-needle sewing machines operable at high speed. A further object of the invention is to provide a fabric-pile forming machine, l

having means for changing from the production of a pile of one length to another length, with improved thread-controlling means insuring uniformity in the pile in any'selected pile-length.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages in View, together with means whereby the same maybe carried into eect, will best be understood from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which: y

Fig. l is a View, partly'in section and partly in front side elevation, of a tufting machine embodying the present improvement in its preferred form. Fig. 2 consists of a section of the looper and a sectional elevation of the adjacent carrier for the thread-detaining member, the section being taken in a vertical plane Containing the axes of rotating of said looper and carrier. Fig. 3 and Fig. 4 are views of the hook-portion ofthe needle. Fig.

5 is a perspective view, partly in section, of the thread-carrying looper and of the threadengaging end of the thread-detaining member. Fig. 6 is a frontend elevation of the machine as illustrated in Fig. 1, with the bedplate in section. Fig. 7 is a view substantially on the line 7-7 of Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is a bottom plan of the throat-plate. Fig. 9 is a sectional view substantially on the line 9 9, of Fig. 1. Fig. 10 is a detail view in rear sideelevation of the actuating cams ofthe carrier for the thread-detaining member, together with the carrier-fork straddling said cams. Fig. 11 is a detail view, in side elevation, of the loopforming and work-feeding elements, in the position of these parts when the needle initially engages the looper-thread. Fig. 12Y illustrates the looper and thread-detaining member, in top-plan view, Ainthe positions fof these partsas shown in Fig. 11. Fig. 13

is a bottom plan of the portion of the machine illustrated in Fig. 1. Fig. 14 is a detail view,

similar to Fig. 11, but illustrating the parts in' a succeeding stage in the pile-forming cycle. Fig. is a top-plan view of the looper and threaddetaining member in the positions occupied by these parts in Fig. 14.

The present improvement has been embodied in a tufting machine having a loopforming mechanism constructed substantially in accordance with the disclosure in my pending patent application Serial No. 447 174, filed April 25, 1930, and having a threadloop cutting mechanism such as described and illustrated in detail in my pending patent application Serial No. 463,861, filed June 26, 1930. Accordingly, only such reference will be herein made to the general construction ofthe machine as is deemed essential to obtain a clear understanding of the present invention.

Referring to the drawings, the sewing machine has a bed-plate 1, serving as a worksupport and provided with the usual slideplates 2 and 3 at opposite sides of a throatplate 4, having a needle-slot 5 elongated in a direction crosswise of the length of the bedplate 1.

Disposed above the throat-plate 4 is a vertically reciprocatory presser-foot 6 alternating in its rising andfalling movements with those of a feeding-foot? carried by a feed-bar 8. The feed-bar 8 is journaled for endwise reciprocation in a laterally swinging frame 9, which is also provided with bearings for a needle-bar 10 carrying at its lower end a hook-needle 11. The blade of the needle 11 is cut away or slabbed at one side from substantially the needle-point to near the butt end of the needle, thus providing a flat blade-surface 12 substantially diametrical of the needle. From the hookthroat 13 of the .needle to the needle-point, however, the flat side of the needle is inclined to the blade-flat 12 to provide. a taper-flat 14,

of which the `inclination is such that the needle-point is disposed in substantially the longitudinal center line of the slabbed needle. The curved portion of the needle op posite to the taper-flat 14 is likewise tapered from the hook-throat 13 to meet the taper-flat 14 in the needle-point, the taper-face 15 of the needle having a thread-clearance groove 16 extending downwardly from the hook-throat 13 to merge into said face 15 closely adjacent the needle-point. The tapering of opposite sides of the needle from the needle-hook to the needle-point obviates any tendency toward lateral deiiection of the needle when penetrating the work.

As more fully disclosed in my prior patent application Serial No. 463,861, the rounded portion lof the needle blade is slidingly guided in a vertically disposed groove in the feeding foot 7, While the fiat blade-surface 12 of the needle slidingly engages a knife-blade 17 having a cutting edge 18 traversed by the needle-hook throat 13. The knife-blade 17 is carried by the feeding foot 7 and may be conveniently shifted vertically upon said feeding foot by a manually operable crankarm 19, from one adjustably predetermined position above the throat-plate 4 to another, to provide for repeatedly -producing rows or groups of rows of severed pile loops differing in length as may be desired.

Cooperating with the needle below the work-support and to position a thread for seizure by the needle-hook, is a rotary threadcarrying looper 20 performing in the present instance two rotations for each complete endwise reciprocation of the needle. The looper 2O is carried by the upper end of a vertically disposed looper-shaft 21 journaled for rotation in vertically spaced and bushed bearingbosses 22 provided in a looper-bracket 23. This bracket 23 is secured upon a lug 24, depending from the bed-plate 1, by means of a screw 25 passing through an elongated aperture 26 in said bracket, whereby the bracket may be adjusted longitudinally of the bedplate 1. To provide an additional support for said bracket, it is formed with an apertured, split boss 27 which is clamped by a screw 28 upon a bushing 29 suitably secured in a horizontally apertured lug 30 depending from the bed-plate 1, this additional securing means for the looper-bracket lending itself to ready adjustment of the bracket.

Carried by the looper-shaft 21, between the bearing-bosses 22, in a spiral gear 31 in mesh 'with a similar gear 32 secured upon a hori zontally disposed looper-actuating shaft 33 journaled ina bearing aperture in the bushing 29 and in a bearing-bushing 34 suitably secured in an apertured lug 35 depending from the bed-plate 1. The gear 32 is of twice the size of the gear 31, so that the looper rotates twice for each rotation of its actuating shaft. The looper-actuating shaft is driven by suitable means to perform one rotation for each complete needle-reciprocation.

In the present instance, the looper 20 has a base constituting an enlargement of the upper end of the looper-shaft 21, said base having a recessed seat 36 for a looperhead 37 37 said thread-delivery eye 42 being preferably inclined downwardly toward the looper axis of rotation.

The looper-head 37 is' provided, substantially centrally thereof, with a shouldered opening 43 affording a seat for an insertsleeve 44, which sleeve has a needle-clearance opening 45 and is secured by a screv.v 46 for circular adjustment in the looper-head 37. The major portion of the upper face of the insert-sleeve 44 is substantially liush with the flatupper face of the looper-head 37 with the exception of a thread-clearance recess 47 provided in the upper face of said sleeve for a purpose herein later described.

In its work-penetrating movement, the hook-needle 11 descends through the throatplate needle-slot 5 and eccentrically into the insert-sleeve opening 45 to a sufficient depth so that the rotating looper may whip the thread carried thereby about the needle above the needle hook. It will bev understood that the needle while in the work also moves laterally crosswise of the aXis of rotation of the looper by reason of the journaling of the needle-bar in the laterally swinging feedframe 9. In its rising movement, the needle seizes the thread and carries it through the work in the form of a loop which projects from the upper face of the work in a direction substantially normal thereto. As in the machine of my prior patent application Serial No. 447,174, the present machine includes means for creating slack in that portion of the thread between the looper delivery-eye a d the work preparatory to the drawing up of the thread by the needle and for the purpose of preventing shortening of the previously formed thread-loop by the loopforming or rising movement of the needle. The present thread-slack creating means is however novel structurally and in the adjusting means provided therefor.

In a preferred form of this improvement, the thread-slack creating device consists of a thread-detaining member in the form of a Enger 48 having at its free end a depending nub 49 positioned directly above the orbit of travel of the thread-clearance recess 47 of the 3 shank 50 1U and from the looper axis, is provided between the cap-plate 52 and the linger shank 50.

The carrier 51 of the thread-detaining f member is journaled for endwise reciprocation in vertically alined apertures provided in the bearing bosses 22 of the bracket 23 and projects below the lower of said bosses. Se-

cured by a screw 54 upon the carrier 51 for vertical adjustment thereupon isa collar 55, disposed between the bearing bosses 22 and from which collar project fork-arms 56 and 57. The arm 57 is approximately'twice as wide as the arm 56 and underlis two adjacent cams 58 and 59 which, in the present'case,'are integral-with a collar 6() secured by a screw '-5 61 upon the looper-actuating shaft 33. While the upper arm 56 of the carrier-collar overlies the cam 58 only, both arms are constantly engaged by the cams. The cams 58, 59 are so shaped that a complete reciprocation is im- 'J parted to the carrier 51 during approximately a semi-rotation of the shaft 33, the carrier being idle during the remaining portion of the shaft rotation. Therefore, the threaddetaining member 48 likewise performs its complete vertical reciprocation during approximately one revolution -of the looper 20, the member 48- remaining in its lowered or thread-detaining position during the revolution of the looper in which the thread is whipped about the needle.

The throat-plate 4 has a recess 62 in the u1i. derside thereof, which recess is entered by the free end of the thread-detainin member 48 in its rising movement, whereby t e threadloop is stripped from the det-aining-member in case it has a tendency to adhere to said member.

In order to provlde for adjusting the thread-detaining member 48 endwisetoward .and from the axis of rotation of the looper 20, whereby the thread-slack creating action of said member may be varied, the shank 50 of the member 48 has a slot 63 elongated in a direction crosswise of said shank. Entering the elongated slot 63 is acrank-pin 64iproy jecting from the .flange 65 upon the upper end of an adjusting rod 66 journaled for oscillation in the tubular carrier 51 which is suitably u.) counter bored at its upper end to receive the flange 65. Secured upon the lower end of the rod 66 projecting beyond the carrier 51, is the hub 67 v of a finger-lever 68, providing convenient means for manually oscillating the rod 66 to thereby shift the member 48 enddifferent thread-detaining positions of the member 48. To this end, the hub 67 of the finger-lever carries an upwardly projecting stop-lug 70 movable between stop-shoulders 71 and 72, one of which is formed on a collar 73 and the other on a collar 74, said collars being adj ustably secured upon the carrier 51 by screws 75 and 76 to provide for relatively repositioning the stop-shoulders 71 and 72.

' Preparatory to operating the machine, the shifting means for the knife-blade v17 is adjusted into a position such that when manually operating the knife-shifting crank-arm 19 from one of its limits of movement to another, the cutting edge 18 of the knife-blade may be caused to be alternately spaced the required distances above the throat-plate to effect the successive production of rows or groups of rows of severed loop-limbs uniformly diifering in length.

It will be understood that the quantity of slack-thread to be created by the thread-detaining member 48 in the nascent loop-limb anchored in the work is ynecessarily proportional to the length of the loop-limb after being drawn through the work, to insure against a thread-drawing action upon the previously formed loop by the rising movement of the needle when drawing up a loop. The requisite slack thread is provided, in the present case, by manually shifting the threaddetaining member toward and from the axis of rotation of the looper whenever the knife is shifted into different positions above the throat-plate.

Therefore, after the knife-shifting means has been properly set, the stop-collars 73 and 74 are adjusted upon the carrier 51 to angularly space the stop-shoulders 71 and 72 of said collars to an extent providing limits of movement of the adjusting-rod finger-lever 68 defining thread-detaining positions of the member 48 which correspond with the knife positions. Y

A thread A is then supplied to the looper in the usual manner and after a base-material M has been placed under the presser-foot and feeding foot, the operation of the machine 4may be commenced. The needle 11 thereupon penetrates the base-material M and descends into the looper which whips the thread about through the base-material into engagement with the knife-edge 18, whereby the loop is cut open substantially in the middle of the loop-bight to provide separated loop-limbs A, A. During the rotation of the looper in which the thread A is presented' to the needle, the member 48 occupies its lowered position in which the nub 49 of said member barely clears the upper face et' the insertsleeve 44. Consequently, the looper whips the thread about said-nnb 49 immediately before the thread is presented to the needle, thereby creating a big'ht in the thread, as illustrated in Figs. 11 and 12 of the drawings. This thread bight is released when the insertsleeve recess 47 passes under the detainingnub 49, as illustrated in Figs. 14 and 15 of the drawings, said detaining nub rising rapidly as the recess 47 reaches thread-releasing position.

The quantity of slack-thread provided by the thread-bight released by the member 48 is of course dependent upon the position of the detaining nnb 49 with respect to the axis of rotation of the looper, as will be self evident. Consequently, when it is desired to repeatedly change from the production of one pile length toanother, it is merely necessary to manually shift the knife-position controlling arm 19 and the thread-detaining member position controlling lever 68 from one of their limits of movement to the other.

Having thus set forth the nature of the invention, what I claim herein is 1. A sewing machine having a reciprocatory hook-needle, a looper actuated to present a thread for .seizure by said needle, a thread-detaining member adapted to engage and form a slack-creating bight in the thread delivered by said looper, a reciprocatory carrier` for said member, means for reciprocating said'carrier to impart thread-engaging and -releasing movements te said member, and means including a manually operable linger-lever connected with the thread-detaining member for predetermining the efective thread-slack creating action ot' said member.

2. A sewing machine having a reciprocatory hook-needle, a looper actuated to present a thread for seizure by said needle, a threaddetaining member adapted to engage and form a slack-creating bight in the thread delivered by said looper, a. tubular carrier for said thread-detaining member, means for reeiprocating said carrier, an adjusting rod disposed within said tubular carrier, and anoperative connection between said adjusting rod and thread-detaining member for shifting said member into different thread-engaging positions upon actuation of the adjusting rod relatively to said carrier.

3. A sewing machine having a reciprocatory hook-needle, a looper actuated to present a thread for seizure by said needle, a threaddetaining member adapted to engage and form a slack-creating bight in the thread delivered by said looper, a carrier for said thread-detaining member, an adjusting-rod operatively connected with the thread-detaining member, and means for reciprocating said carrier and adjusting-rod in unison to impart thread-detaining and -releasing movements to said member.

4. A sewing machine having a reciprocatory hook-needle, a looper actuated to present a thread for seizure by said needle, a threaddetaining member adapted to engage and form a slack-creating bight in the thread delivered by said looper, a. carrier for said thread-detaining member, an adjusting-rod operatively connected with the thread-detain ing` member, means for reciprocating said carrier and adjusting-rod in unison to impart thread-engaging movements to said member, and adjustable means limiting movement of the adjusting-rod relatively to said carrier to predetermine the effective thread-slack creating action of said member.

5. A sewing machine having a reciprocatory hook-needle, a looper-actuated to present` a thread for seizure by said needle, a threaddetaining member adapted to engage and form a slack-creating bight in the thread delivered by said looier, a tubular carrier for said thread-detamihgmember, an adjustingrod journaled within said carrier operatively connected with the thread-detaining member, means for reciprocating said carrier and adjusting-rod in unison to import thread-engaging and -releasi'ng movements to said member, a finger-lever carried by said rod whereby he rod maybe manually oscillatcd within said carrier to adjust the thread-detaining member toward and from the needlepath, and stop-elements sustained by said carrier predetermining the limits of adjustment of the thread-detainingmember.

G. A sewing machine having a reciprocatory hook-needle, a looper actuated to present a thread for seizure by said'needle, a thread-detaining member adapted to engage and form a slack-creating bight in the thread delivered by said looper, an endwise reciprocatory tubular carrier having a guideway for said thread-detaining member disposed transversely of the path of reeiprocation of the carrier, an adjusting-rod ournaled in said carrier having an operable'cnnection with said thread-detaining member to shift said member in its guideway upon actuation of said adjusting-rod relatively to said carrier, and means for reciprocating said carrierand adj listing-rod in unison toimpart thread-engaging movements to the thread-detaining member.

7. A sewing machine having a reciprocatory hook-needle, a rotary looper adapted to present a thread for seizure by said needle, means for imparting to said looper a plurality of rotations for each needle reciprocation, a reoiprocatory thread-detaining member adapted to intermittently engage the thread delivered by said looper, and means for imparting to the thread-detaining member its complete cycle of reciprocatory movement during one only of the rotations of the looper for each needle-reciprocation.

8. A sewing machine having a vertically reciprocatory hook-needle, a vertical-axis rotary looper adapted to present a thread for seizure by said needle, a looper-actuating shaft imparting two rotations to said looper for each reciprocation of the needle, a threaddetaining member adapted to intermittently engage the thread between the looper and the work, avertically reciprocatory carrier for said thread-detainin g member, and means for reciprocating said carrier from said looper-actuating shaft during alternate rotations only of said looper.

9. A sewing machine having a reciprocatory hook-needle, a looper actuated to present a thread for seizure by said needle, a thread-detaining member adapted to engage and forni a slack-creating bight in the thread delivered by said looper, a carrier for said thread-detaining member, means for actuating said carrier, and means for shifting said thread-detaining member relatively to its carrier from one predetermined thread-engaging position to another.

10. A sewing machine having a vertically reciprocatory hook-needle, a vertical-axis rotary looper adapted to present a thread for seizure by said needle, a thread-detaining member adapted to engage and 'form a slackcreating bight in the thread delivered by said looper, a carrier' for said thread-detaining member, supporting means for said carrier providing for vertically-reciprocatory endwise movements thereof, means for vertically reciprocating said carrier, and manually operable means for shifting said thread-detaining member'relatively to its carrier from one predetermined thread-engaging position to another.

11. A sewing machine having a reciprocatory hook-needle, a rotary looper actuated to present a thread for seizure by said needle, means for rotating said looper, a thread-detaining member adapted to engage and form a slack-creating bight in the thread delivered by said looper, a carrier for said thread-detaining-member, means for actuating said carrier, and manually operable means operatively connected with the thread-detaining member for shifting said member relatively to its carrier in directions toward and from the axis of rotation of the looper from one predetermined thread-engaging position to another. f

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification. i WALTER MYERS. 

